Tough Decisions
by Ly the werewolf
Summary: Joey reflects on his past after making some bad decisions for the future. Yami has condemned him, and his friends are helpless to only watch him suffer...(Revised and made to look pretty!)


AN - Hol-ee! I don't know about you guys, but I think this story makes me sound like, Super Christian, or something...Which, by the way, I'm NOT....  
Also, I apologize for the swearing match at the beginning...I can assure you, it (hopefully) adds to the general feeling of that scene. I deeply apologize to anyone if it seems gretiuitous. (I'm not sure I spelled that right.) I wrote this story somewhere in July, so sorry if it kinda sucks...I was in one of my 'moods'...^_^;;;  
Anyways, don't ask me why I killed off Joey. Him and Yugi are my absolute FAVORITE characters! Maybe I'm just a nutter....Hmmm.....  
Well, Enjoy! ~Ly the werewolf  
PS - Yeah, I know...you guys have already seen this story up before...Well, I saved in incorrectly, so it all melded together into one big blob of text...Time to fix it for easier reading! Sorry about it! ^_^;;;  
  
TOUGH DECISIONS  
Yugi Moto silently exited his tiny house. " Bye, Grandpa! I'll see you at the Game Shop after school!" His grandfather, Solomon Moto, poked his head out from around the wall.   
" Okay, Yugi! Have a good day!" Yugi once more waved goodbye to his Grandfather as he closed the door. " Hmm. I wonder what kind of stuff is gonna happen today?" he pondered to himself. As was true. The past few weeks had been quite interesting for Yugi. After coming back from an archaeological dig, his Grandpa had brought Yugi a mysterious relic from Egypt, called the 'Millenium Puzzle.' As he attempted to solve it, little Yugi made a wish. 'I wish I could have a real friend...' Sure enough, after some misdeeds and changes of alligence, he had made two new friends: Joey Wheeler, a tall, blond street kid with a thick New York accent, and Tristen Taylor, a surprisingly good martial artist who always sported a khaki-coloured trenchcoat. Along with their newest friend, a pretty young girl by the name of Tea Gardener, Yugi felt, for the first time, like he truely belonged.   
Just recently, Joey had filled Yugi in as to where he lived, although he always seemed very reluctant to go back to his own home. Something always came up whenever Yugi wanted to come over, or he avidly avoided the subject. Yugi thought this was really strange, but never really dwelt on the subject. The small boy suddenly stopped where he stood. " You know what? I'm going to go and stop by Joey's house. I don't think he's left for school yet, so maybe we can walk together." Yugi turned down a small street and began walking towards the Wheeler household. Joey's neighbourhood was fairly nice in some parts; kind of middle/working-class, so some of the houses and yards were not all that well kept. Not that he minded, really. This was the first time he had actually seen his new friend's house: the front yard was surrounded by a rusting chainlink fence, and the yard was filled with beer bottles, and old junk from cars and various machines. Whatever part that wasn't covered in trash was covered in dead or dying grass. As he got closer, Yugi suddenly heard shouting, as if someone was getting into a fight. Now, Yugi was a nice, polite boy, and not really one to pry or eavsdrop, but they were shouting pretty loud. " That's coming from Joey's house," he murmered to himself. " I wonder what's going on...?" Yugi stood just behind a hedge from a neighbouring house. There were three voices; two guys and one woman. Yugi leaned in a bit closer to hear what they were saying, not that it was hard to hear from where he was standing.  
" ....You're nothin' but a no-good dumb shit! I don't know why the hell I even FOUGHT for your custody against your stupid slut mother!"  
" I'M a 'no-good dumb shit?!' You looked in the mirror lately, pops!?"  
SMACK! Yugi winced as the unmistakable New Yorker voice of Joey cried out in pain from being struck by his father. Now he could hear the woman.  
" Oh, leave the boy alone, Rod! Why the fuck you slappin' him anyway?! You want him to turn out like you!?" The woman was now avidly shrieking at Joey's dad.   
" You keep your fucking mouth shut you slut!! You're damn lucky I even keep you around!!!"  
" I wouldn't call this 'lucky' you pencil-dicked sack of shit!!" Yugi's eyes widened; he had never heard three people fight this brutally before.   
" Hey! Where the hell do you think YOU'RE goin', boy?!"  
" I'm goin' to school! Get away from me! I'm outta here!!" Yugi peeked over some more and saw the ratty screen door swing violently open after the olive green wooden door.   
" Oh!" Yugi couldn't stay silent as he tripped on a loose chunk of sidewalk and tumbled forward stupidly, hopping on one foot to keep from falling on his face. Yugi sheepishly looked up to the still form of Joey Wheeler.   
"...Yugi...." Joey looked crestfallen.  
"....Um....Hi, Joey...."  
" You, uh....You didn't hear any of that, did ya...? 'Cause, y'know...." Yugi didn't meet his friends' gaze, instead finding the sidewalk much more interesting.   
" Well, I was, uh, walking to school and, since you gave me your address, I thought it would be nice if we walked to school together, so I decided to swing by your house to see if you wanted to --"  
" Yugi."  
" Yeah?"  
"...You're ramblin', bud."  
"...Oh. Sorry." Joey rubbed the throbbing red patch on his face where his father struck him. Yugi's eyes narrowed with concern. " Hey, maybe you should get that looked at, Joey." The tall blonde shook his head.   
" Nah, s'okay. He's done worse, believe me." The smaller boy took his word, but decided to go into it further. The two highschool freshmen started walking back up the street.   
" Joey," Yugi began. " Why haven't you told anyone about this? I hate to say it, but what your father is doing is wrong! He shouldn't be hitting you, Joey! He shouldn't be hitting anyone!" Joey suddenly stopped, leaving Yugi to walk ahead a couple of steps. He turned to his friend. " Joey...?"  
The blonde shot his head up.   
" Stay out of it, Yugi! I know you're just tryin' to help, but you're meddlin' in things that you just don't understand!" he shouted defiantly. Yugi sighed at the tears that were threatening to spill over Joey's eyes. " When we were little, sure, our parents fought, but we always managed to make ends meet! Kiss and make up! But as we got older, my dad became a whole other person! He would go to bars, and come back at two and three am! He started doin' hard street drugs! He started makin' deals with street thugs and gangs to get his next hit! How do you think Tristen and I learned to fight so good, huh?! I was always coverin' my dad's fat ass! Tristen decided to come along for the ride later on, because even NOW, they're STILL comin' for him!" Yugi remained silent, never breaking eye contact. Joey looked down at his feet, ashamed at his tears. " When the drinkin', drug use and gamblin' got us in a lot of trouble, my mom decided it was time for her to split. That's when he started gettin' violent.   
"Since he couldn't pay for drugs, boos, and his gamblin' debt, he started going into withdrawl. My whole family lived in fear for their lives and well-being for the next four months. Finally, my mom got the courage to get a restraining order....and a divorce. She automatically got Serenity, my little sister, but....I don't know why, even to this day, but my dad fought like mad to get custody of me. God only knows how he won....A couple of years ago, he met some broad, she moved in, an' it's been like this ever since." He couldn't hold back any longer. Crystalline tears spilled down over his cheeks and splashed down onto the pavement. " God damnit, Yugi....You don't know what it's like, goin' to bed each night, fearin' for your own safety....From the person you trusted the most in your entire life...." Yugi approached his sobbing friend.   
" No, I don't know what it's like, Joey, and I imagine it's pretty scary." He paused momentarily. " So...does Tristen know about this?" Joey sniffed loudly.   
" Nah...Not really...He just thinks I'm a magnet for trouble, that's all." Joey chuckled lightly. " I think he might suspect somethin', though...." Joey stopped short as Yugi placed a hand on Joey's arm.   
" Joey, " he stated. " I know that you can never help someone unless they want to be helped. But, I just want to let you know that...well..." Yugi looked up at Joey, eyes shining. " We're here for you, Joey. Tristen, Tea, and even Grandpa! And, especially me. If you ever need anything, anything at all, just ask. Then hopefully, one day, you'll gather enough courage to stand up to your father and put an end to all of the horrible things he's doing to others and himself." Joey blinked in surprise, and to get the rest of his tears out of his eyes.   
" Yugi...." He smiled broadly. " Thanks, man. I don't know what I'd do without ya." He hesitated, but knelt down and embraced Yugi lightly. " Thank you, Yugi." He said, his voice barely above a whisper. The small boy smiled sincerely and patted Joey on the back.   
" Hey, what are friends for, right? " The tall blonde released Yugi from his embrace and stood up. " Now, we'd better get going, or we're going to be late for school!" Joey grinned.   
" Hey, ya! You're right! The last thing I'd want is another detention!" The two boys ran down the street, jackets and bookbags flailing behind them as they dashed ahead to beat the schoolbell that signaled that a new day has just begun.....  
  
Joey Wheeler smiled bitterly at the emotional memory. 'Those sure were the days,' he thought to himself, not really believing the events that had just transpired.   
It's been three weeks since Joey left with his best friends, Yugi Moto, Tristen Taylor and Tea Gardener for the prestigious Duelist Kingdom, owned by Yugi's misunderstood nemesis Maximilian Pegasus. Using the awesome power of his Millenium Eye, Pegasus managed to gather and trap the souls of Solomon Moto, Yugi's beloved Grandfather, and the two Kaiba brothers, the innocent, young Mokuba, and his ruthless businessman of an older brother, Seto. Joey and Seto Kaiba really had a huge grudge against eachother, but Seto's growing respect for Yugi put him and the others in a whole new light. Besides, Seto wasn't a bad person, he just did what he had to do to save his little brother. After they had returned to the mainland, the four of them actually ended up saving Seto and Mokuba yet again through an intense VR game, and saved Seto's company, Kaibacorp, from being overthrown from the inside.   
Among the new roster of friends was the enigmatic Bakura, a young boy, about Joey's age, with thick white hair, and an equally thick english accent. He actually was a really good guy, that is until the Millenium item he owns, the cursed Millenium Ring, possessed him with the soul of an evil spirit. Tristen ended up throwing the ring over a cliff, but it wasn't that easy. Bakura led them to believe that everything was okay, and left. They hadn't seen him since.   
The next, and most important to Joey himself was the blonde bombshell Mai Valentine. Sexy, seductive, and a fantastic Duelist, Mai came across as a real bitch at first, but after Joey and the others proved friendship and faith was more effective than cold skill and ruthlessness, she slowly warmed up to them. She seemed to pick on Joey, even from the very beginning. They left the Duelist Kingdom as friends, but would grow to something more after the second Kaiba rescue. They had been dating for only about ten days, but Joey was head-over-heels in love with her, and was pretty sure she felt the same way. "Sure could use her support right about now...." he mumbled, as he warily eyed the corpse at his feet. Wiping some of the blood from his mouth and hands, he picked up the phone, barely being able to dial because he was shaking so badly. He struggled to keep his thoughts in check as he listened to the repetitve phone ring. Finally, it stopped, and the groggy voice of Mai floated through the reciever.   
" Ugh....Hello..?" Joey took a steadying breath.   
" Uh, Mai....um, hi. I-It's Joey." There was a pause at the other end.   
" Joey? Dear, what are you doing calling this late? Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice getting worried. Joey didn't reply. " Joey? Hello? Are you okay?" The young boy snapped back into reality.  
" Uh, yeah....everythin's okay over here, honey. I......" He paused again, his eyes once more wandering over to the dead body decorating his living room floor. " I just wanted to hear your voice..."  
Mai didn't sound convinced.   
" That's really sweet of you, Joseph, but seriously. It's after midnight, and I know something's wrong. I can feel it." She sighed. " Is it your father again?" she asked tentitavely. 'You could say that...' he thought to himself.   
" Nah, nah...." He shook his head, even though she couldn't see it. " It's nothin', really. Sorry to wake you, Mai. " She didn't reply. " Mai?"  
" Yeah?" She sounded a little pissed. Joey swallowed.   
" I....I love you." The other side went silent. " Mai...?"  
" Oh, Joey....I....I love you too......" Joey's heart lept about ten feet in the air as he grinned from ear to ear.   
" I'll, uh, see you tomorrow, okay? Well, technically, today, but...you know what I mean. Maybe I'll take you out for lunch or somethin'. Well, goodnight, Mai. Sweet dreams, and know that I love you. Bye."  
" Bye, love." Joey was once again alone with his thoughts, the monotonus sound of the dial tone his only company. He stood there, in the middle of his living room, watching the body on the floor with such fear and anticipation that you would think he expected it to jump up and start dancing. Suddenly, he frantically started dialing the phone again. He waited impatiantly, as the phone rang once, twice, three times....until the familiar click of the phone sent his heart pumping frantically.   
" Uhhhh.....*sniff* Hello...?"  
" Yugi, it's Joey. Sorry to call at such an ungodly hour, but I really need you to come over to my house. Right now."  
" Joey, do you know what time it is?" Joey cursed under his breath.   
" Yes, I am well aware of what time it is!" he shouted, his voice beginning to sound urgent.   
" Please, Yuge, I'm beggin' ya...." There was a pause and some shuffling at the other end.   
" Okay, Joey. I'll be there in about ten minutes."  
  
As Yugi quickly walked up the street, he could make out the umistakable silhouette of Joey Wheeler. He jogged up to his friend, who was standing out on his front porch. " So...what's up?" he sighed, his face slightly pink at getting there so fast. Joey flicked on the porch light, and Yugi suddenly gasped in horror. " Man alive, Joey!! What happened to you?! You-You're covered in blood and injuries!!" Sure enough, Joey had seen better days. His left eye was turning black and blue, along with spots on his neck, face, jaw and knuckles. Large gashes from a sharp object left bloody trails along his chest and left forearm, blotting his green jacket and white t-shirt. Joey looked guilty.   
" Yugi...You have to promise me, right now, that you won't tell anybody about this, okay?" Yugi narrowed his eyes slightly.   
" Well...okay...." With a motion of his hand, he ushered Yugi into his destitute house. Joey clumsily patted the wall, searching for a light switch.   
" Try not to freak out too much...." Yugi's eyes widened with shock, horror and disgust as light instantly flooded the room. The small boy took an unsteady step back, his face white as a sheet.  
" J-Joey!! You....You have a dead body sitting on your living room floor!!! W-Why?! How?!" Joey didn't answer. Yugi turned his head slightly, wanting to make eye contact, but unable to tear his eyes away from the corpse. " Joey....?" Joey looked at Yugi, tears spilling down his bruised cheeks.   
" I-It's not my fault, Yugi!" Joey sobbed. " He was totally nuts! His girlfriend just left him for good, and he hadn't gotten a hit in a few days, an' he was totally wasted....an'....an'...." The blonde boy was unable to finish as his knees gave way, sending him collapsing to the floor, his chest heaving with heavy sobs. Yugi finally wrenched his eyes away from Joey's deceased father and met his friends. He placed a reasurring hand on Joey's shoulder as he sat down on the floor beside him. Joey managed to momentarily stop from bawling as he struggled to speak. " He was a ravin' lunatic...Desperate for a hit, drunk or high....or both...on whatever he could find in the house...Mad as all hell and just as violent...." He choked on his words, but quickly recovered. " He wanted someone to blame, and....since I was the only one here, he turned on me....Ended up smashin' a beer bottle to gouge me with....That's where all these gashes came from...." He lightly pointed to his chest and arm. " He just kept on hittin' me, an' hittin' me, until...Somethin' happened to me. All I could see was red, and I grabbed the nearest weapon to try an' fend him off." He motioned with his head to where a cracked flower pot sat, and Yugi noticed for the first time that one end of it was covered in blood and bits of which he didn't want to believe was brain matter. Joey looked at his open hands, palms up. " Somethin' inside of me snapped...I screamed, and I just started hittin' him right back. Over, and over, and over....until....until......" Yugi shut his eyes tightly, knowing that his friend couldn't carry on any more, as he broke down again into wracking sobs.  
" Joey...." Yugi whispered gently. " I don't know if what I say can help, but there's someone here who'd like to offer his help instead...." Joey looked up quizzicly at his friend, who was bathed in a bright light that eminated from his Millenium Puzzle. When the light died down, in the place of Yugi stood his taller, fierce-looking alter ego, Yami Yugi, the physical representation of the spirit dwelling inside of his ancient artifact. Joey's body visibly tensed. He knew that inside, this person was still his best friend, but this spirit was almost an entirely different entity. His mysterious and menacing looks were not helping his feelings, either. But, he had trusted this spirit before, called him by Yugi's name, and accepted his friendship long ago, so Joey relaxed a little, feeling a bit secure in his powerful presence.   
" Yami..." Joey breathed. Yami took a slow breath in through his nose, and rested his large dark eyes on Joey. The young blonde looked apprehensive. " Uh...You're not gonna send me to the Shadow Realm or somethin' because I....killed my dad outta self defense, are ya...?" In the 'underground' version of Duel Monsters, the Shadow Realm was an alternate dimension of evil, death, and dark spirits; basically Hell, sans all the fire. Joey and the others were actually sent there once through a rather twisted version of a Duel Monsters game played by Bakura, the evil spirit who possessed Ryou.   
Yami's expression didn't change. His shining crimson eyes rested on the corpse of Mr. Wheeler, and he took another slow breath. " No, Joey, I won't. But you do know that what you did was wrong." Joey's face darkened.   
" Look, Yami, I really 'ppreciate you bein' here an' all, but please - don't preach to me, okay? I'm not stupid. I'm well aware that I could get life in prison, or thrown in a Juvenille Detention Hall, or if I'm lucky, go live in an orphanage, because I'm sure as all hell that my mom wouldn't wanna take me back!" Joey was suddenly aware that he had shouted that last part. He took a steadying breath and let his otherworldly companion continue.   
" Believe me, Joey - I wish more than anything that I could just wave my hand and make this all better for you; I really do. But....you've killed someone. That is a crime." The blonde teen was starting to get visibly aggrivated. He turned to his friend, desperation shining in his chesnut eyes.   
" But, but Yami - you were a pharaoh once, weren't ya? I mean, theoretically, you should be the expert on dealin' with stuff like this!" Joey paused. " No offense."  
" None taken." Silence covered the two in the living room like a heavy shroud, drowning out everything around them except the sound of their own breathing. Finally, Joey broke the silence.   
" So...this is it, huh?" He sighed heavily, his own heart weary. Yami looked over at Joey, whos eyes were staring off into the distance with a glassy look to them. " You're gonna turn me into the cops, an' I'm gonna pay for my crimes. No mercy. 'Cause, y'know, I'm just a goddamn punk kid. No one's gonna believe me." Large, shining droplets fell from Joey's glossy eyes as he suddenly stood up.   
" No mercy! I'm goin' to jail, like some freakish rapist or criminal! Just like that!! DIDN'T IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU THAT I WAS JUST DEFENDING MYSELF!?! THAT IF I HAD DONE NOTHING, LIKE YOU OBVIOUSLY WANTED ME TO, HE WOULDA KILLED ME?!?"  
Yami blinked slowly and stood up. Even though Joey was nearly a head taller than Yami, he warily stepped back, slightly intimidated by the ancient power that seemed to radiate from him.   
" I didn't say that I wanted you to do nothing. I don't want any harm to come to my aibou's friends. But there are other ways of dealing with hostile situations like that." Joey's upper lip curled as he approached the eerily calm spirit.   
" WHAT THE FUCK WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO!?! CHALLENGE HIM TO A DUEL!?! Y'KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER NOTICED, BUT NOT EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM IN THIS WORLD CAN BE SOLVED WITH A FUCKING CARD GAME!!!" Yami narrowed his eyes dangerously as the invisible Millenium symbol on his forehead suddenly flared to life. He placed his open hand in front of Joey's surprised face and shouted a single command.  
" SIT." With a deadened expression, Joey obediantly sat down on the floor. Yami walked across the living room, stepping over the dead body without a second thought, and reached for something sitting on an end table. A single tear rolled down Joey's bruised and swollen cheek.  
" Hello, police? I'd like to report a murder..."   
  
Three young teens ran to a large building in the downtown business district, a few heads turning their way as they noisily banged the doors open. All three of them, a short boy, and a taller boy and girl, were out of breath as they skidded to a halt at the front desk. The short boy spoke first. " We'd...*huff* ...like to see...*wheeze* Joey Wheeler, please!" The slightly overweight officer raised a skeptical eyebrow.   
" Names?"  
" Yugi Moto, sir." the short boy answered.   
" Tristen Taylor." the taller boy answered.  
" Tea Gardener." the tall girl answered. The large officer sighed wearily as he rose from his desk with a small breath of exhasperation. He motioned for the three to follow him down a few semi-crowded hallways, finally ending up at the holding cells. The officer motioned with his head to a cell at the end of the small hallway.   
" That's him. Don't try any funny business." He exited the gray area, just waiting for when any of them would dare to break him out. Finally, he left. Yugi, Tristen and Tea could see that they were not the first ones there: Mai Valentine was sitting in a chair, holding Joey's hands through the bars of his cell. She greeted them with a sad smile.   
" So...You guys finally decided to show." She glanced at Yugi and company, then turned back to her boyfriend. The three teens approached Joey's cell and stood beside Mai. Yugi smiled slightly and shrugged his shoulders.   
" Uh...Hey, Joey....How've you been?" Joey met Yugi's gaze. The smaller boy took a deep breath. " Joey," he began. " I....I'm so sorry! When Yami went to the phone, I tried to call him back! I tried to gain control! But....but he wouldn't let me! He shut me out! Oh, God! Joey, I'm so sorry! Can you ever forgive me?" Yugi was openly crying by now, holding himself up by clutching onto the bars that seperated the two. A green-sleeved arm snaked through the bars and rested on Yugi's shoulder.   
" Yugi, don't feel bad. It's not at all your fault, I'm just...payin' for my crimes, as Yami said." Tristen finally spoke up.   
" So, Joey...How's your situation? Do you...y'know...have a good chance?" The blonde took a deep breath and rested his gaze on the cold cement floor.   
" Well, they're providin' me with a lawyer, but even then....it's not lookin' too good. I heard they're gonna try to put me in a penitentary based on the severity of my crime, instead of Juvie." He sighed deeply and squeezed Mai's hand. " I think I'm just gonna plead guilty....no use in draggin' this out..." Tea, the group's 'cheerleader', threaded her fingers through her other hand.   
" Maybe you shouldn't, Joey. I mean, if what you said is true, and I believe you, than you were just defending yourself! Your father would've killed you if you hadn't fought back somehow!" Joey's hazel eyes flared to life.   
" What's the point?! There's not enough evidence to get me outta this! All of it's workin' against me! All they can find is the murder weapon, and they can't just go on my word that these wounds were inflicted by my dad! For all they care, they might as well be self-inflicted! My DNA's all over the place! If that doesn't scream 'Murder One', than I don't know what does!" A few other temporary prisoners turned to look at the young teen, who was shouting by now. Joey sniffed lightly. " It's all over...."  
  
Joey Wheeler sighed as he readjusted himself on the uncomfortable cot, desperate to find a remotely tolerable position. This was his fourth week in prison, and to say that he merely 'hated' it was a gross understatement. He despised it. He loathed it. At one point, Joey had come to the conclusion that getting a red-hot poker shoved up your ass was probably more enjoyable than this.   
As he had stated a few weeks before, he had presented himself as an open-and-shut case, pleading guilty to the charge of First-Degree Murder in the first thirty seconds of his trial. His lawyer had hated it, and his friends and girlfriend thought he was insane, but Joey knew what he was doing. His sentence would go on for another eight years, and that's only when he's eligable for paroll. If he didn't make it, they would dump another five years on him. A sudden buzz jolted him rudely from his thoughts.   
" Okay, all you maggots! Visiting time! Please approach the door to your cell, get into a line, and follow the parole officers out into the visiting area!" Joey's heart lept about ten feet into the air, as he jumped off his cot and waited impatiently for the door to open. His mind raced as he was led to a small booth filled with a stiff plastic chair. He impatiently drummed his fingers on the counter as he waited for someone, anyone to arrive for him. His eyes narrowed jealously at the other inmates, who's wives, girlfriends, and children were crowding around booths to visit their imprisoned mates and fathers.   
" Joey!"  
Joey eagerly looked for the source of the voice. Sure enough, Yugi, Tea and Tristen came walking down the hallway and headed for Joey's booth. A grin spread on his face from ear to ear as Yugi sat down and picked up the phone, with Tea and Tristen on either side of him.   
" Joey! How are you doing?" Joey did likewise and rested the reciever on his shoulder.   
" Eh. Definitely been better." Yugi lowered his gaze; he still felt horribly guilty at what his dark spiritual counterpart had done. The blonde teen put on a false smile. " But hey, I don't want you guys to get depressed or nothin'. Anythin' new with you? How's school goin'?"  
For the next hour and a half, Joey chatted with his three best friends about anything - school, life, Duel Monsters, and the like. He had enjoyed it immensly, and was pretty disheartened when Yugi sadly noted that the three of them had to go. As he got up to leave, Yugi suddenly stopped. " Oh, Joey, I have something for you..." He absentmindedly mumbled as he fished through his pockets. He pulled out a small card and placed it face down through the tiny slot under the glass. " It was always your favorite. Well, take care Joey. We're all here for you." With a small wave, Yugi retracted into the growing crowd with Tea and Tristen. Joey watched their forms until they left, finally turning his attention to what his friend had given him. The young blonde's eyes widened as tears formed at the edges. Looking back up at him was Joey's favorite Duel Monsters card, the brave and gallant Flame Swordsman. He smiled sincerely as he placed the precious card in his shirt pocket. He doubted that his mother would come to see him, much less bring his little sister, Serenity, so Joey got up to leave.  
" Joey? Is that you?"  
He whirled around only to come face-to-face with his girlfriend, Mai Valentine.  
" Mai! Oh my God, Mai, dearest....you came..." Joey was unashamed of the tears of joy and relief that ran down his pale cheeks. Mai sat in the opposite chair and threaded her fingers through her boyfriends under the same tiny slot that Yugi had placed the card only minutes earlier.   
" How are you holding up, sweetheart?" she asked. Joey smiled bitterly.   
" I've only been here four weeks, and I've already recieved more beatings, assults and death threats then I have in my entire life, and probably yours too." He absentmindedly traced a finger along the top of a nasty looking bruise that ran across his neck. " Someone tried to strangle me a couple a days ago." His bitter smile remained. Mai smiled as well, a light mocking tone in her voice and eyes.   
" Well, aren't you the popular one, Joseph." She tenderly caressed his hand. " Joey, I...." She shook her head. " I love you so much, and it just kills me that your here, and, just the way that they treat you, it's....appaling..." A single tear ran its course down Mai's pristine face. " God damnit, Joey...I'm just amazed at how you survive all of that..." Joey put on the same fake smile he had used earlier with Yugi and the others.   
" I...I just...well, stay strong. Plus, the parole officers do a great job of keeping guys like me safe." he lied. The two young lovers comforted and consoled eachother until the unwelcome buzz and shouts of the parole officers, signaling the end of visitation hours. Joey shot daggers of ice through his eyes as some of the inmates hooted and whistled at Mai's retreating form.   
" Check her out! Wheeler! Is she yours?" One inmate shouted.   
" Whoo!! Talk about a butt that won't quit, eh?" SMACK! Joey nursed his knuckles as he glared down at the man he had just decked in the jaw.  
" Don't you EVER let me catch you talkin' about Mai like that, you got me?" Joey spoke, his voice even and icy. The inmate met his icy glare.  
" Oh, you're so gonna fucking get it Wheeler-"  
" HEY! BREAK IT UP HERE!!" Two parole officers had just run in and was forcefully seperating the two. The man started calling out to Joey as they dragged him off.  
" I know your type, Wheeler! You ain't gonna last in here for long, I can tell ya that!" Joey rubbed his nose and sniffed.   
" You don't know how right you are...."  
  
Eight long months have passed since that incident. Four sets of footsteps echoed down the hallway as they entered the designated room. A wirey-looking man turned to meet them. He arched an eyebrow and adjusted his large glasses. "Are you the four that were called down in regards to..." He flipped through some papers. " One Joseph Andrew Wheeler?" All four of them nodded. The skinny cop turned and fiddled with some audio/video equipment. " What this tape contains may be a little hard to see. Are you all okay with it?" One of them spoke up.  
" Look, officer, you've called us down saying that something's happened to Joey. You haven't even told us what's happened! So stop screwing around with us and tell us what's wrong!" Mai fingered a lock of bright blonde hair that fell in her eyes. The police officer looked unphased.   
" Please sit down and watch the tape." With a stiff finger, he pressed PLAY. The center screen blipped to life, showing a violent and tense scene that looked like it was from a movie. Except the guy taking center stage was none other than Joey. Him, along with a huge crowd of other inmates, were in what was presumed to be the cafeteria, and all of them were shouting, hollaring and cheering for Joey, who was standing on a table. Parole officers were violently shoving thier way towards him, each one with their gun drawn and ready. Why? Joey was holding another Parole officer in a deadly headlock, and was holding something shiny and metal up to his throat. It was hard to tell exactly what it was because everything was a bit blurry. Four pairs of eyes widened in shock and fear at what their friend was doing. Tea put her hand to her mouth and made a small, pitiful squeak. The filmed Joey was making rude and violent gestures, kicking at anyone who got too close, and kept threatening to do his hostage in. His head slowly turned his head up slightly, until he was facing the security camera, and started speaking to the screen.   
" I'd like to say to Yugi Motou, Tristen Taylor, and Tea Gardener that I'm sorry! For everything that I've done, and all the pain I've caused. You guys were my best friends, and I'll never forget our shining friendship. To my little sister Serenity - your big bro will always be there for you, watchin' over ya. Never forget that, and give my love to mom. To my dearest girlfriend, Mai Valentine - I love you so much, sweetheart. Forget about me, and find a better life, and know that I'll always love you until the end of time." The filmed Joey took a deep breath, which was impossible to hear over the loud hollaring of the crowd surrounding him. He looked back at the screen, his face considerably darker and his eyes narrowed. " And to Yami -" he paused. " I'll see you in hell." He tightened his grip on his hostage and turned away from the screen. " I'M SORRY!!!" he screamed. The rest was all a blur as Joey was going to make the move to kill the officer, but his defiant teammates gunned him down, saving one of their own. Joey fell off the table like a ragdoll, a large puddle of blood creeping out onto the cement floor like water. As the rest of the officers moved in, the tape was turned off. The beanpole officer turned to them, sighing deeply at the whitened faces and open mouths of the viewers. Mai covered her mouth with her hands, and sobbed lightly. Quickly, her sobs got more and more powerful, as her knees finally gave way to the weight of sorrow that was placed on her shoulders. She screamed loudly, hot tears streaming down her face as her scream ripped through the police department, only reflecting the tip of the agony and sudden emptiness she felt.   
  
It was raining the day of Joey's funeral. Thick black clouds loomed overhead, almost seeming to mourn the loss of the young teen as well. They shed their tears of anguish, as a light, misty rain fell down upon the small crowd dressed in black, each person clutching an umbrella.   
Yugi Moto idely fingered the bulky gold pyramid hanging around his neck as he glanced around at the other funeral-goers. Of course, Joey's 'surrogate family' - himself, Tea, Tristen, Grandpa and even Bakura were staring at the raised coffin, a zombie-like expression on their faces. Yugi's eyebrows raised slightly as two forms, one very tall and holding onto the hand of a smaller one, approached. Sure enough, Seto and Mokuba Kaiba were among the mourners. He let his gaze sweep over the small crowd, and he picked out Joey's mother and little sister, Serenity, who was crying into her mother's black-bloused chest. There were a few other men and women that Yugi couldn't recognize, so he assumed they were just relatives Joey had never mentioned. Finally, his gaze rested on one tall, blonde woman, who was standing alone under her prussian blue umbrella. Yugi approached her quietly and laid a small hand on her arm. " Hey Mai," he whispered. " How're you holding up?" After a few moments, Mai looked down at the young highschool student who wasn't more than half her size. She shrugged lightly.   
" It's hard," she choked. " I miss him so much already." Yugi solemnly nodded, his own throat getting tight.   
" Yeah....I miss him too....I mean, he was my best friend...." Yugi sniffed and lightly itched his nose with his finger. Everyone grew silent as the Priest approached the dark podium, which was slick and shining with rain. He slowly opened up a large, leather-bound Bible and took a deep breath.   
" Joey Wheeler was a strong, young man...." Yugi turned away and started to head towards his friends. A hand on his shoulder stopped him.   
" Yugi...." Mai pleaded, her eyes shining with unshed tears. " Please. Stay here with me."  
  
The Priest seemed to drone on for hours as the rain fell. No one moved, or said a single word as his voice floated through the air. After what seemed like forever, Yugi blinked quickly, and slowly brought his tired gaze up to the crowd. It didn't look like a single person was listening; just staring ahead, with the same zombie-like expression he had seen on his other friends. He brought his gaze up to Mai's face, who pretty much looked just like everyone else. Finally, the Priest finished, and monotonuesly inquired if anyone would like to add a few words. For the first time that day, Tea, Tristen, Bakura, and Mr. Moto looked over at Yugi. Seto Kaiba gave a small nod and motioned up to the podium. Everyone seemed to be waiting for Yugi to say something. The young boy took a deep breath and stepped forward, finally resting behind the wooden podium. He lifted his eyes to the expectant crowd and began to speak. " Joey....Joey was my best friend. Sure, he was a little rough around the edges, but inside his chest beat a heart of the purest gold. He was someone who held his friends and family in the highest regards, and gave his love and kindness to anyone who needed help.   
" Along with that heart of gold was a soul of passionate fire. This fire was his temper, his pride, and the drive he needed to fiercely protect those he held dear, as I'm sure all of you knew. If he didn't have that fire, his little sister wouldn't be able to see her dear brother one last time." Serenity blinked her large blue eyes and sniffed. " If he didn't have that fire, a major VR corporation would've been violently overthrown." Mokuba smiled sadly, as Seto shut his eyes tightly. Yugi swallowed and took a steadying breath. " If he didn't have that fire, he wouldn't have changed the lives of so many people around him for the better! Because of Joey, just knowing that he was always there for his friends and family, I think we are all better people." As he spoke, a few of those gathered closed their umbrellas and lightly shook the raindrops off. A few rays of sunshine was beginning to peek through the thick black clouds. Yugi looked up at the sky, tears rolling down his pink cheeks. " Joey, if you can hear me up there....thank you."  
  
The hours passed quickly as everyone gathered the courage to say something on behalf of their fallen friend or family member. Tristen, Tea, Solomon Moto, Bakura, even Seto Kaiba all poured their hearts and souls out, but none dove into their emotions deeper than Mai. Her heartfelt anguish and loneliness brought nearly everyone there to tears. But she surprised them all, as she finished her speech smiling, knowing that Joey would always be there, watching over her, and to make sure she never felt lonely again. It was an incredibly moving piece, and the bright blue sky making the last few raindrops shine was a perfect ending.   
Tea, Tristen, and the others stood silently and patiently as they waited for Yugi and Mai to pay their last respects. The grave had been dug and filled, and everyone had placed flowers, photos, and other sentimental and meaningful objects and gifts to decorate Joey's tombstone. Sniffing lightly, Mai placed her bouquet of perfect roses at the foot of his polished grave marker. She smiled softly. " He said he never told anyone, but...roses were always his favorite flower." Yugi returned her smile. " See you around, kiddo. Take care of yourself and the others." The young boy nodded sincerely as he watched the retreating form of Mai Valentine, and turned to his friends.   
" I'll just be a minute!" he shouted. Tea gave a small wave to acknowledge him. Yugi turned to the fresh grave of his best friend. " Joey....I..." He glanced down at the gold pyramid around his neck, which was shining brightly in the sun's rays. " I'm sorry....I don't know why Yami did what he did, and....I don't think I can ever forgive him for that. I thought he was bad and out of control when he deliberatly risked Kaiba's life to win that duel back at the Duelist's Kingdom, but this....This is the last straw..." Yugi placed a hand on his tombstone. It was still a bit wet, but cool to the touch. He absentmindedly broke the tiny droplets of water with a finger, until a sudden thought struck him. " Oh! I almost forgot!" He busily dug through his black coat pocket until he pulled out a small playing card.   
" This is from all of us. Grandpa even got it laminated, so it wouldn't get ruined." He placed the thin card besides Mai's roses. " Sleep well, Joey. We'll never forget you, friend." Yugi turned and joined the rest of his friends as they began to make their way home.   
Back at the gravesite, amidst all the flowers and gifts, a single playing card rested on a bed of flower petals. The sun was shining full force now, and the brave and shadowed face of the Flame Swordsman greeted the sunshine by flickering softly, the light dancing off its laminated surface. On the back, surrounded by the autographs of Yugi, Tristen, and Tea were a few heartfelt words:  
  
" To Joey: May your fire always burn brightly and light the torch of our shining friendship."  
  
END 


End file.
